This invention relates to an inserter and a method of inserting inserts into containers.
A blister pack in which pharmaceutical tablets or other small articles are packaged typically comprises a blister sheet of clear plastic with each blister containing one or more of the tablets. A frangible foil sheet is attached to the blister sheet so that the tablets may be dispensed from the blister pack by pushing them through the foil sheet. A typical blister pack 20 with blisters 23 is shown in FIG. 1. Such a blister pack is sufficiently rigid so that it is self-supporting.
A blister pack may be housed in a blister compact with the foil sheet against the inner bottom surface of the container portion of the compact. The container has discharge openings which align with the blisters so that the tablets can be pushed through the discharge opening to be dispensed. A typical blister compact 22 is shown in FIG. 1. The blister compact 22 has a cover 24 and a container 26 made of a plastic material and connected to one another along a living hinge 28 which biases the cover 24 and the container 26 toward an open position. The container 26 has a series of discharge openings 25. The spacing and size of the discharge opening 25 in the container 26 are such that, when the blister pack 20 is placed within the blister compact 22, each blister 23 of the blister pack 20 overlies a corresponding discharge opening 25 in the container 26. Consequently, when the cover 24 is open, a user can dispense a tablet by simply pressing on the corresponding blister 23 and displacing the tablet through the foil sheet of the blister pack 20 and through the corresponding discharge opening 25 in the container 26.
The blister compact 22 may have tabs 27 which hold the blister pack 20 inside the blister compact 22 when the outside edges of the blister pack 20 are inserted underneath the tabs 27.
It is known to insert blister packs manually into blister compacts. This, however, is a relatively slow and expensive approach.